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by blackcoffeeandteardrops



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), infinity war - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 23:12:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14531454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackcoffeeandteardrops/pseuds/blackcoffeeandteardrops
Summary: In the aftermath of The Avengers:Infinity War, Tony returns home, and he and Pepper have a moment's solace before all the chaos begins again.





	Home

The pale glow coming from a tablet resting in Tony’s lap was enough to make out the lines on his face. Pepper stood just out of his line of sight, watching as he tapped away, rubbing his forehead with his free hand as he clearly struggled with whatever it was he was working on. She knew it had to do with bringing everyone back, and she knew since he’d come stumbling through the door that morning that he planned on getting to work right away, and given what little information she’d been able to glean from him, she couldn’t be surprised. Still, she thought, quietly padding over to the couch where he sat, there was a small part of her that had hoped he wouldn’t set out to work so soon. “It’s four a.m.,” she whispered, settling into the cushions and resting her head against his shoulder.

“I came out here to work because I was afraid I’d wake you, but I guess I failed at that, too,” he replied, momentarily stilling his actions in favor of putting his arm around her, pulling her closer as if it were even possible, all the while reeling from the fact that not even twenty four hours earlier he wasn’t sure he’d ever get to do so again.

“Tony, please don’t talk like that. I woke up on my own, and when you weren’t there…” Pepper paused, shaking her head as she darted her tongue out to moisten parched lips. She ghosted her hand over her still flat stomach, reveling over what silently grew inside. Tony had mentioned the baby, half heartedly, and she’d immediately dismissed the idea at the time. But once he’d left--she laughed at the thought, as if being transported via portal was something people experienced everyday--she’d got to thinking, not just of him, but of the fact she was late. It was impossible, right? They’d been careful, although not entirely so, given the multiple positives on the tests she’d performed. The ship in the sky, quickly followed by the phone call that lost reception, had made her afraid he’d never get the chance to know the truth. He’d smiled when she told him, and the tears in his eyes weren’t just due to everyone they’d lost. “I realize how impractical it may be of me to ask this right now, but are you okay?”

He lowered his gaze to the tablet in his lap, debating how best to respond. “Every time I close my eyes, it’s like it’s happening all over again. I watched people just...dissolve...right in front of me. And Parker,” he said, shaking his head and he clenching his jaw. Telling May what had happened hadn’t been easy, and there had been yelling which he supposed he deserved, but he’d swore to her and to himself that he’d find a way to bring Peter back if it was the last thing he did. “He was supposed to go back home, Pep. He was--”

“You can’t think about that right now,” Pepper replied, sitting up straighter and planting a kiss against his temple. She cupped his cheek, urging him to look at her, waiting until he did to speak. “I know how crazy this may seem, but you can’t save the universe in one night. You just got back, and--”

“I promised May that I’d bring Peter back, okay? And it’s not just him. It’s everyone. Thanos has disappeared and I haven’t been able to track him yet, but once I do?” Tony replied, letting out a sigh. He felt heavy, weighted down with all that he’d done and all that he’d yet to do. He raised a hand to pull hers away from his face, curling their fingers together and bringing them to rest against her stomach. “I have to fix this world before we bring a new child into it. Our child. We’re parents.”

“I’m aware,” Pepper replied, nodding drowsily, relieved at the temporary reprieve of the somber mood that seemed to emanate from him ever since he’d returned. She couldn’t say she blamed him, given everything they’d gone through. “I can’t believe you were right, by the way.”

“Yeah, well, when am I wrong?” Tony replied, quirking an eyebrow as he looked back at her. “Actually, on second thought, don’t answer that.”

Pepper laughed, the sound bubbling from her lips, figuratively lighting up the darkened room. “Do you really believe you can do it? Defeat him and bring everyone back?”

“You don’t?” he asked, realizing only after he’d spoken that he was afraid of the answer. They’d been in a good place before he’d left, and not just with the sudden engagement. They’d been talking, communicating more effectively, and he hated to think that after it all she could possibly doubt him.

“Tony, no,” she insisted, holding the hand that rested on her stomach tighter when he tried pulling away. “That isn’t what I meant, and you know it. All I was getting at is the fact there’s more at risk now. You’re going to be a father, and I know you were excited at the prospect before, but it’s real. It’s happening. And if you run off or...well, fly off in some ship to another godforsaken planet, or a decimated part of this one, you’re putting more than just your own future at risk. So unless you’re absolutely certain that whatever plan you have will work?” she asked, her voice growing shaky as she grappled with the very real fear of never seeing him again. “Please, just tell me you have help. You can’t do this alone, no matter how much you might want to.”

Tony opened his mouth, ready to deny the truth she so tactfully called him out on, but he knew that she was right. “Those of us that are left are going to come up with a plan. We’ll train as best as we can, work as hard as we have to--”

“Who is we exactly?” Pepper asked. She traced a mark that would surely become a scar on his face, no matter how hard he’d tried to patch it up. “And by the way? Don’t think I’ve forgotten the fact you casually mentioned you were stabbed earlier. No amount of nanotechnology or new tech can keep you fully safe. I personally feel you’d be better off getting checked out by a doctor, but considering the upheaval this place is in, the hospital may not be the safest place. But I still think--”

“I know, I hear you, honey. I do. And I’ll go, if that’s what you want. But see?” Tony said, raising his shirt enough to reveal his abdomen and an area that looked red and a little angry, but was barely more than a flesh wound. He smiled, shrugging his shoulders, hoping it was enough for now. “Good as new. Almost.”

She glanced at the scar, dubious, but decided to leave well enough alone. There would be time enough in the future to repair whatever wounds--physical, psychological, and otherwise--that remained. Still, the memory of people dissolving into dust around her was a sight she would not soon forget. Pepper closed her eyes, feeling hot tears threaten to fall, and she drew a shaky breath. “Who’s left?” she asked, finding herself afraid of the answer.

“Nat, Rhody, Bruce...although, considering he can’t seem to get Hulk to get his act together, I’m not sure…” Tony replied, shaking his head. “Anyway, Thor’s alive, too. And, well, Steve. There are others, but that’s a start.”

“It only took the end of the world to get the two of you on speaking terms again,” she replied, hoping he’d take it as the joke she intended it to be. She watched as he stared at the coffee table before them, focused intently on something she herself couldn’t see. “Hey,” she said, quietly, nudging his shoulder and waiting until his attention snapped back to her to continue. “What is it?”

“I was just thinking,” he said, clearing his throat and ducking his head as he spoke. “We should get married.”

Pepper held up her left hand, pointing to the engagement ring on her finger. A lump was growing in her throat and she fought to swallow it, recalling the hours upon hours that she’d spent, twirling it back and forth, scouring reports and coverage, and wondering if she’d ever see him again. “I said yes, so I figured that was already a given. That’s what this was for, right?”

Tony nodded, tilting his head as he considered his next words carefully, wanting them to count. “I know. And believe me, I’m glad. But that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh,” Pepper replied, the idea of what he was getting at hitting her a few seconds later. “You mean like now?”

“I don’t know what we’re looking at here, you know? The time table. I don’t know if it’ll take hours or days, or…” he tapered off, tilting his head against the couch and staring up through the darkness at the ceiling. He let the silence settle between them, somewhat surprised that it didn’t feel heavy, and he turned his head towards her, holding her hand and rubbing at the engagement ring he’d placed there with his thumb. “I just figure it’s about time you make an honest man out of me, Pep.”

“Is that it? A little late on that for the both of us, don’t you think?” she replied, pointing to her stomach. She smiled, leaning in to kiss him, pressing her forehead against his when they broke apart. “I promise to do everything I can to keep things safe here. I can’t promise you I won’t worry, because we both know that won’t happen, but I’ll try. I love you, you know.”

“Funny, here I was thinking you were just looking for some bling,” Tony mused, delighting in the fact she laughed. If anything, it was a moment’s reprieve in an otherwise daunting and impossible time. The weight of what he had to do weighed heavy on his shoulders, but he had to fight now more than ever. “I can’t promise I won’t do anything that will make you worry, but I’ll do my best to try. And after we fix everything? I was thinking we deserve a vacation. Somewhere nice, warm, quiet. A honeymoon, if you will. You in?”

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, born of anxiety from everything they still had to face. Pepper nodded, trying her best to keep her fears at bay. “I like the sound of that,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him once more. “But first?” she asked, lips still brushing against his. “You need to sleep.”

Tony shook his head, immediately against the idea. “I told you. I can’t sleep. I can’t see their faces, Pep. I just--”

“Come here,” she interrupted, all but pulling him to her side. With a little effort, she’d managed to coax him into a laying down position, resting his head in her lap. She carded her fingers through his hair, slowly raking her fingernails across his scalp, watching as he closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. “Better?”

He didn’t know what to expect once daylight broke. He didn’t know what the team would say, what they could do once they all got together and formulated a solid plan. What he did know is that he wanted to soak up as much time with Pepper as he could before everything began, but the longer she kept rubbing circles against his skin, the more he felt sleep begin to claim him. “Better.”

“Good,” Pepper replied. Even with his eyes closed, she thought he looked ready to take on the world and anything else that came along. She traced his brow with her fingertip, watching as he visibly relaxed at least a little under her touch. “Get some sleep, honey. I’ll let you know if we get any news.”

He nodded, feeling consciousness slip farther and farther away. “I meant what I said, you know? I’ll come home to you,” he said, turning his head just enough to press a kiss softly against her stomach. “And you. Wow, we have got to baby proof this house.”

“We do,” Pepper replied. She hadn’t had much time to get used to the idea they were going to be parents, considering everything they’d faced in such a short amount of time. It scared her to think of what he was about to do, but she also knew there was no sense in talking him out of it. For whatever faults he might have had, genuinely wanting to help everyone wasn’t necessarily one of them. She just wished it didn’t come at such a great chance of risking himself. “We can start working on that once we get back from that vacation you’re definitely taking me on. But you know what you have to do before that?”

“Hmm?” he mused, not bothering to suppress a yawn. He’d been afraid before to close his eyes, had been hesitant to do so for fear of the scenes that might play through his mind, but if he was being honest, saying he was exhausted would be an understatement. “Wait, don’t tell me. You think I should get some sleep. Am I right?”

“It’s possible,” Pepper conceded, smiling softly as she watched him burrow deeper into the couch, tucking an arm around her waist and pressing his face softly against her. With daylight, meetings and phone calls would come, and eventually he’d leave, and she didn’t know when--she outright refused to think in terms of if--she’d see him again. It was a truth that scared her, but it was a truth she’d try her hardest to cope with nonetheless. A few minutes ticked by, filled with little more than silence and the sound of electronics around them quietly whirring with electricity. She glanced down at her lap, seeing for herself that Tony had at least for the moment fallen asleep, and she closed her eyes, intent on doing the same thing.


End file.
